Safety-gage for bridges and railway-crossings.



3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

Patented 0015.15, 1912.

M. E. FRANK.

APPLIGATION FILED MAR. 30, 1912.

SAFETY GATE POE. BRIDGES AND RAILWAY GROSSINGS.

M. E. FRANK.

SAFETY GATE FOR BRIDGES AND RAILWAY GROSSINGS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30, 1912.

1,041,454. Patented 0ct.15,1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

M. E. FRANK.

SAFETY GATE FOR BRIDGES AND RAILWAY GROSSINGS. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30, 1912.

1,041,454. Patented Oct. 15,1912.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

'UNKTED @TATE FAFQNZE *IT MICHAEL E. FRANK, (3F SHEBOYGAN, WISCONSIN, AS$IGHOR OF (ENE-HALF T0 LOUIS HERMAN, OF SI-LEBOYGAN, WISCONSIN.

SAFETY-GATE FOR BRIDGES AND RAIL'WAY-GROSSINGS.

acetate.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Got. 15, EH2.

Application filed March 30, 1912. Serial No. 687,411.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, MICHAEL E. FRANK, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Sheboygan, in the county of Sheboygan and State of Vi isconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety- Gates for Bridges and Railway-Crossings; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear and eXact description thereof.

My invention has for its object to provide a simple, economical and positively actuated safety-gate for bridges, railway crossings or the like, its construction and arrangement being such that all gates ar under the control of an operator located at a convenient point of observation, the gates being automatically closed by actuating a suitable release mechanism whereby the gates are free to swing by gravity, the said gates being opened by the application of motor power, which is applied by the operator and cut off automatically incidental to completion of an opening movement of the gates.

The invention further contemplates providing a simple and economical means for manual control of the gate operating mechanism from central portion of a bridge, the, controlling means carried by the bridge be ing automatically coupled with stationary extensions thereof which are directly connected to said bridge mechanism.

With the above and other objects in View the invention consists in certain peculiarities of construction and combination of parts as hereinafter setforth with reference to the accompanying drawings and subsequently claimed.

In the drawings Figure 1 represents a sectional elevation of a portion of a horizontally swinging bridge and its abutment equipped with a safety gate appliance embodying the features of my invention, the gate being shown in partly elevated position, said section being indicated by line 11 of Fig. 3; Fig. 2, a detailed cross-section of the gate lifting mechanism, together with its supporting overhead structure, the section being indicated by line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a similar cross-sectional view showing the arrangement of suspending the gates from said overhead structure, the section being indicated by line 33 of Fig. l, and Fig. 4, a detailed plan sectional View of coupling mechanism for the gate-control ling means.

Referring by characters to the drawings A represents a bridge abutmentthat serves as a support for struts 1 which are connected by an overhead cross-beam 2, into which struts is journaled a trunnion shaft 3 that extends transversely of and over the roadway of the abutment, the said trunnion shaft being provided with intermediate brace-brackets 4 that depend from the cross beam 2. As best shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings the abutment roadway is provided with centrally disposed rails 13 comprising a single car-track of an electric railway system having an overhead feed wire B, it being understood however that in ordinary equipment a double-track railway would be provided for the abutment in which instance the number of gates would be multiplied over that shown.

Loosely journaled upon the trunnion shaft 3 are pairs of gate arms 5, 5, 5, 5, which gate arms are preferably suspended by strap connections 6 that pass over the shaft and are secured to the arms by bolts or other suitable fasteners. The lower free ends of each pair of gate arms are cross connected by parallel bars 6 which in turn are connected by vertical bars 7 that together form a rigid structure capable of resisting heavy impact. The connected pairs of arms 5, 5, 5, 5, constitute roadway gates which are adapted to swing upon the trunnion shaft by gravity to the position shown in Fig. 3, there being similarly constructed sidewalk gates 8 having arms 8 that are loosely trunnioned upon the shaft 3 in the same manner as that described in connection with the roadway gate arms.

A second pair of vertical struts 1 are supported from the abutment rearwardly of the feed wire 13 of the railway system whereby there is no liability of interference with trolley-systems of this character.

The winding shaft 9 is provided with a pair of drums 10, 10 to each of which is secured one end of a chain or cable 11, the opposite ends of which are made fast to the lower free ends of the roadway gates. The ends of the winding shaft 9 are also provided with similar winding drums 12 that carry chains or cables 13 which chains or cables have their lower ends connected to the free ends of the sidewalk gates 8. The winding shaftis also provided with two or more signal lamps let that are suspended from chains which are coiled about said shafts whereby the signal lamps are raised or lowered. Positive rotation of the winding shaft is had through an electric motor 15, which motor is mounted upon a bracket carried by one of the struts 1, the motor-shaft being back geared to a counter-shaft 16, which counter-shaft car ries a sprocket wheel 17 that is connected by a link belt 18 to a similar sprocket-wheel 19 fast upon the winding shaft.

lVhen the motor is energized it will cause the winding shaft to rotate in the direction of the arrow as indicated in Fig. 1 and the gates being all connected to said winding shaft the latter will be caused to swing upon their trunnion shaft 3 upward until they reach a practically horizontal overhead position whereby free passage for tratlic thereunder may be had.

Owing to the fact that the ends may be of great weight I may in some instances provide a counter-balance therefor, which counter-balance in the instance is shown in the form of a weight 20 that is connected by a chain or cable 20 which is coiled about the winding shaft with its ends secured thereto. Hence when the gates are lifted by winding the shaft in one direction the counter-balance weight will gradually drop due to unwinding of its cable connection to said shaft. After the gates have been lifted to their open position they are held in this position by a weighted looking dog 21, which locking dog is pivotally mounted upon a bracket 21 that is secured to the strut 1 that also supports the motor. The nose of the weighted dog is adapted to engage any one of the teeth of a ratchetwheel 22, which ratchet-wheel is fast upon the winding shaft and by this engagement said winding shaft is locked whereby the gates are prevented from dropping by gravity to their closed positions.

When it is desired to close the gates the weighted locking dog must therefore be re leased and to effect this operation I provide a sectional operating cable 23, 23,.which extends from the tail of the dog over a guide-pulley 24 to a second overhead guidechains or cables 7 pulley 24 that is supported upon the overhead structure of the swinging bridge A and centrally thereof, the end of the cable being provided wit-h a hand-grip whereby said cable may be manipulated. The cable section 23 which may be termed the abutment section is connected to a bolt 25' that is slidably mounted in a box '26 whichlbox is supported upon a post 27. 'Theend of the sliding bolt 25 is provided with an anti friction roller 25 that is adapted to be engaged by a cam-shoe 28 which is carried at one end of a second bolt 285wh1ch bolt is slldably mounted in a box 29 that is suit-- ably secured to one member; 30' ofthe string ingbridge overhead structure. The opposite end of the bolt 28 is connected to the cable section 23 which cable ma be termed the bridge section of the lock and release mechanism that controls the winding shaft 9. Hence it will be seen from the above described mechanism that should the operator desire to, release thergates when they are locked in their open position, the same may be accomplished by a slight pull upon the cable section 23, it being understood that the bridge at this time is" closed and. the

coupling connection which is formed by the cam-shoe 28 and roller 25 is affected, thus causing motion to be imparted to the entire cable whereby the nose of the dog is lifted from engagement with a tooth of the ratchet-wheel 22 in opposition to After the gates have come to rest in their closed position upon release of the cable section 22 the bolt 28 will be returned to its its weighted tail whereby the gates will'by' ice normal position by a weighted cable 28" which is connected thereto and guided bva suitable roller, it being'held in its normal position by engagement of a stop-collar 29 with the box 29. The bolt 25.will be simi- V larly returned to its normal position by the weighted tail of the locking dog 21 in which position said bolt is held by a collar 26 that engages the box 26. M

Mounted upon one of the struts 1 is a:

switch lever 32, one arm of which is adapted to engage contact blades 33 that form terminals of the motor circuit and when so closed the switch lever will complete the cir- V wit and thus the motor is energized. The closing of the circuit isnnder control of the operator that is stationed in'this instance midway of the bridge and in order coupled by bolts 35, 36, one of which bolts I carries a contact roller 35 for engagement with a contact shoe 36 that is carried by the bolt 36, this coupling connection being in every respect similar to that described with reference to the cable lock and release mechanism of the winding shaft. The end of the bridge cable section 34-, of the switch also passes over a guide roller that is positioned centrally of the bridge from which it depends and terminates with a hand grip similar to that described in connection with cable section 23. An arm 37 of the switchlever is connected by a cable 38 to one of the roadway bridge gate arms 5 and hence when said gate is returned to its extreme open position slack in the cable 34: will be taken out and incidental to a slight movement of said gate draw upon the cable will cause the switch lever to rock and thus break the feed-wire connections to the motor, whereby the latter will come to rest. Hence it will be understood that when it is desired to open the gates the operator may by a slight pull upon the cable section 34 close the motor circuit whereby power is imparted to the winding shaft to lift the gates and when the lift is about completed the switch will be automatically operated to break said motor circuit. The cable section 24 is provided with a controlling weight 34L which will return the bolt 35 to its normal position of rest after the same has been drawn forward manually to close the motor-circuit, it being understood that when the operator releases the cable that the weight 34 will retract section 34 whereby the same will become slack, thus permitting free movement of the switch lever, which lever will be held in either its closed or open position by friction or other suitable means.

As shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, provision is made for operating the winding shaft by hand, which hand control will be utilized in emergencies wherein the motor for any cause failed to work. The handcontrol mechanism comprises a countershaft 39 which is journaled upon one of the struts 1 to the squared ends of which shaft may be fitted cranks 39. The shaft also carries a sprocket-wheel 40 that is in link belt connection with a similar sprocketwheel 41, which latter sprocket-wheel is mounted upon the winding shaft.

it is apparent that owing to the coupling connections between the operating cables that the bridge is free to swing in either direction with respect to the abutment and when closed that the terminal shoes of the bolts will come into engaging position with relation to the rollers of the abutment bolt members. Furthermore it will be observed that owing to the gates being loosely hinged or suspended from the overhead structure in an emergency the same may be lifted by hand to permit a team or person to pass thereunder should said team or person be inadvertently caught between the bridge and abutment.

While I have shown and described the winding shaft as being provided with visible signals it is apparent that audible signals may also be employed to indicate danger and that the entire apparatus may be applied to railway crossings or the like in which instance the cables for controlling the motor and lock and release mechanism would be manipulated from a central tower. It will also be understood that when the apparatus is applied to a horizontally swinging bridge as shown that both ends of the bridge are provided with safety gates similar to that shown in Fig. 1, there being four cables terminating at the center of the bridge accessible to the operator. Thus the entire device can be controlled from a single point of observation and while the device is an absolute check against accidents usually occurring at railway crossings or bridges of this character there is no danger of injury to persons or animals due to closing of the gates by positive power nor is it possible to trap trafiic between pairs of the gates due to the fact that they can readily be lifted in an emergency.

1 claim 1. In a swinging bridge having an abutment; the combination of a safety gate comprising an overhead supporting structure arranged transversely of the abutment thoroughfare, horizontally hinged gates suspended from the overhead structure, a winding shaft journaled in the overhead structure in parallel relation to the gate hinges, a flexible connection between each gate and the winding shaft, a ratchet-wheel carried by the winding shaft, a lock and release mechanism for the winding shaft, an electric-motor in gear connection with said vinding shaft, a circuit controlling switch for the motor, coupling bolts supported upon the abutment in cable connection with the switch and lock and release mechanism, a connection between the switch and one of the gates, other coupling bolts for interlocked engagement with the aforesaid bolts carried by the bridge, automatic retracting means for the bridge carried bolts and cables connected with each of said bridgecarried bolts the said cables being extended to a convenient position accessible to an operator upon the bridge.

2. In a horizontally swinging bridge having an abutment; the combination of a safety gate comprising an overhead supporting structure arranged transversely of the abutment thoroughfare, horizontally hinged gates suspended from the overhead structure, a winding shaft journaled in the overhead structure in parallel relation to the gate hinges, a flexible connection between each gate and the winding shaft, a ratchetwheel carried by the winding shaft, a locking dog engageable with the ratchet-wheel, an electric-motor in gear connection with said Winding shaft, a circuit controlling switch for the motor, coupling bolts supportedupon the abutment in cable connection with the switch and dog, a connection between the switch and one of the gates, other coupling bolts for interlocked engagement with the aforesaid bolts carried by the bridge, automatic retracting means for the bridge-carried bolts, and cables connected with each of said bridge-carried bolts, the said cables being extended to a convenient position accessible to an operator upon-the bridge.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand at Sheboygan in the county of Sheboygan and State of Wisconsin in the presence of two witnesses.

MICHAEL E. FRANK.

Witnesses: V 7

HENRY J. NEUENS, M. W. BRAND.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

